Alexander 'thrilled' after 550-mile round trip pays off with 57-1 double

Wednesday: Doncaster

Nick Alexander’s decision to make the ten-hour round trip to Doncaster paid handsome dividends after he landed a 57-1 double, including success in the feature veterans’ chase with Up Helly Aa King.

The Kinneston trainer, who endured a frustrating Friday closer to home with four seconds at Kelso last week, got off to the perfect start when Ginger Mail took the opening 2m½f novice hurdle under Conor O’Farrell.

O’Farrell and Up Helly Aa King then fended off the challenge of Vintage Clouds and Sean Quinlan, who was also seeking a double having secured a 60th winner of the season on the Charlie Longsdon-trained Castle Robin in the previous race.

Up Helly Aa King’s feather weight of 10st proved decisive, as he edged out Sue Smith’s Cheltenham Festival winner by three-quarters of a length in a thrilling finish to complete a good day’s work for Alexander and O’Farrell.

Alexander said: "I was thrilled with that. He ran very well in one of those veterans’ chases at Haydock in the autumn and sort of lost his way a little bit. I think he appreciated the slightly better ground today and the very light weight obviously. They’re nice prizes these, which makes a real difference.

"It’s a long trip for us to Doncaster so it was well worth it. They both won really well and the team did a fantastic job to get up at 4am to get them there."

Alexander was unable to complete a perfect treble when Half Track, his other runner on the card, could manage only third when sent off 11-10 for the 3m½f handicap hurdle, won by 16-1 shot Silva Eclipse and Thomas Willmott, who provided Smith with some compensation for Vintage Clouds’ near miss.

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